Hi everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed Halloween and ready for another fun weekend here in NYC.
This weekend take the kids and enjoy Flutter: A Discovery Play About the Seasons by Treehouse Shakers at A.R.T/New York, Canstruction at Brookfield Place, Diwali Festival at Flushing Town Hall, Virtual Tour + Art Workshop: Picture This! Grateful Vessels with The Jewish Museum, Pumpkin Smash in Hudson River Park, Children’s Garden Family Day at Queens Botanical Garden, Fern’s Drop of Gray Book Launch & Free Art Projects at Private Picassos, Pumpkin Smash 2021 at Lou Lodati Park, Fossil Fuels and the Environment with Solar One, Virtual Events for Youth & Families: Día de los Muertos, Little New-Yorkers @ Home with DiMenna Children’s History Museum, Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast, Virtual Sing, You Sing with Ms. Felisha and Green Meadows Farm Pumpkin Smash at Aviator Sports and Events Center.
Check out long running events like The 3 Wishes and 3 Little Lambs at Puppetworks, The Nature of Color Exhibit and Worlds Beyond Earth at the American Museum of Natural History, Tall Ship Wavertree at South Street Seaport, The Yard – Adventure Playground on Governors Island and the Putting Green Mini Golf.
There are a lot more Halloween events this weekned so check calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Enjoy the weekend and don’t forget to change the clocks!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday November 5th
Sing, You Sing with Ms. Felisha (virtual)
Fridays 915-945a until December 3rd. $15/drop in. Register here. For ages 1.5-5y (adult participation optional). Ms Felisha loves to teach her Little Buddies new songs and watch them shine! We’ll sing your favorite tunes together and you’ll have your chance to step into the spotlight – Bring your own microphone and come ready to embrace your inner superstar!
Canstruction at Brookfield Place (Battery Park City)
Starting Thursday November 4th 10a-8p and daily until Monday November 15th. Free. An extraordinary annual design competition and the most unique food charity in the world, Canstruction challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food. The large-scale structures are placed on display and later donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need.
Little New-Yorkers @ Home with DiMenna Children’s History Museum (virtual)
Fridays 330p and also Tuesdays 330p until November 23rd. For ages 3-6y. Join us via Zoom every Tuesday & Friday for story time and crafts! Each class includes a special Little New-Yorkers hello song, silly dances and songs, a story book reading, and a craft to do at home. See the theme of the week and register on the website here.
Fossil Fuels and the Environment with Solar One (virtual)
Friday November 5th 4-5p. Free. Grab a chocolate chip cookie and learn about the environment! During this workshop, students learn about fossil fuels and how they are used to produce electricity. They then discuss the environmental and health impacts associated with their removal and use. Solar One Educator will use a cookie as a model to illustrate what happens to the environment when fossil fuels are removed. Bring your own chocolate chip cookie and paper clip to join along. Watch on the Queens Public Library Facebook page.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday November 6th
Pumpkin Smash 2021 at Lou Lodati Park (Sunnyside)
Saturday November 6th 10a-130p. This event is free. Drop in. Do something fun with your pumpkins after Halloween! Bring your jack-o-lanterns, uncarved pumpkins, or soon to compost gourds to NYCCP hosted by QBG’s 2021 Pumpkin Smash! Smash, squash, or catapult your pumpkins to keep our city green spaces thriving. Smashed gourds will be turned into compost by the NYC Compost Project that will help revitalize soils in parks and green spaces. Don’t let your pumpkins haunt a landfill–visit Pumpkin Smash 2021! There will also be games and worm bins.
Flutter: A Discovery Play About the Seasons by Treehouse Shakers at A.R.T/New York (Fort Greene) [sponsored]
Saturday-Sunday November 6th-7th 1015-11a & 1130a-1215p. Tickets + fees: $35 for 1 adult & baby. There are low income and single tickets also available. See website for all the details. Treehouse Shakers’ Flutter, for babies ages 6-18 months and their caregivers, is a stunning new discovery play that introduces the very young to the four seasons. Conceived and written by Mara McEwin, with choreography by Emily Bunning, the piece is performed by three performers, who are the dancers, puppeteers and play-makers. Flutter explores the seasons through a sensory experiential journey of visuals, sounds, objects, some language, and an open concept of play. Using a non-traditional theatrical set-up, the audience is immediately transformed into a nurturing and welcoming space created by the feeling and ambience of the piece. As the piece begins, caregivers and babies are seated in the round, with the performance in the center. Using original music creates the seasons’ tone, and ambience; music being the first language for the very young mind. Babies and toddlers will have the freedom to crawl, walk, and move within the space, investigate hands-on textures, crawl and climb while experiencing the language/sounds/music and engaging visuals. Read here for more about the COVID Policies for theatrical space.
Fern’s Drop of Gray Book Launch & FREE Art Projects at Private Picassos (Park Slope)
Saturday November 6th 11a-12n. Free. Register here. Location: Outside Private Picassos on 5th Avenue. For kids 1.5-12y. Private Picassos is thrilled to host the book launch of “Fen’s Drop of Gray”! “Fen’s Drop of Gray” is the story of Fen, a little hedgehog who starts to lose all of her colors. With some help, Fen is able to start bringing the colors back to her world. Come by Saturday November 6th for a reading of the book by author Brian Wray, sketching demo by the illustrator Shiloh Penfield and a FREE communal painting project, organized by Private Picassos!
Diwali Festival at Flushing Town Hall
Saturday November 6th 11a-1p & 2-4p. In-Person Tickets: $15/$10 Members & Children (Pre-sale only). Virtual Tickets: $7/$5 Members. Celebrate Diwali with this all-ages socially distance festival and dance party, featuring Kathak classical dancer Abha Roy and Basement Bhangra’s DJ Rekha! Learn Bollywood, bhangra, and Kathak dance moves with Abha and Rekha, the art of rangoli design with Anju Gupta, explore Indian cooking with Queens Curry Kitchen and more. Abha Roy, master teaching artist and artistic director of the Srijan Dance Company, will be joined on stage by Angela Rostick and Ling Tang who will “trade steps” in a cross-cultural dance conversation of kathak footwork, American tap and Chinese Tibetan tap dance. Note: All individuals must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and matching identification to attend this event. Purchase tickets here.
Events for Youth & Families: Día de los Muertos (Virtual)
Saturday November 6th 1-2p. Free. Calpulli Mexican Dance Company features selected excerpts from their repertoire in celebration of Día de los Muertos. The diverse genre of Mexican folkloric dance is explored through a varied selection of dances from Calpulli’s rich repertoire. Dancers perform distinct choreographies from various states and ethnic regions in Mexico, each with unique costumes and music. The flowing feathers and drum beats of the Azteca, the bright skirts of the women in Jalisco, and the comedic dancing of the little old men are just a few examples of memorable characters audiences will enjoy. This pre-recorded program will air on the BPL Facebook page and remain there for 48 hours, then will be taken down.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday November 7th
Virtual Tour + Art Workshop: Picture This! Grateful Vessels with The Jewish Museum
Sunday November 7th 10-11a. Free with RSVP. RSVP for Zoom link, one ticket per family. Explore imaginative vessels in the shape of animals from Israel and ornate beaded boxes from South Africa on a virtual tour. Transform and decorate an everyday container with buttons, beads, wire, clay, and fabric. Use your vessel to collect funds for charity (tzedakah) or to gather grateful messages for family and friends. Get creative together through this intimate and multi-faceted program inspired by works of art in the Jewish Museum’s collection.
Pumpkin Smash in Hudson River Park
Sunday November 7th 11a-2p. Free. Location: Pier 84. Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, this event requires pre-registration, with timed entry. One (FREE) ticket is for one household, of up to five people. Register here. Hudson River Park’s family-favorite, Pumpkin Smash, is here for a smashing good time! Are you ready for some post-Halloween pumpkin fun? Bring your jack-o-lantern or uncarved pumpkin to HRPK’s Pier 84 to squash, smash and smush them into compost to help keep our Park beautiful, green and growing. Registration is now available — one ticket is valid for up to five people. Groups are asked to bring their own pumpkins, as well as safety goggles. This November, don’t miss a chance to participate in a HRPK fall favorite, Pumpkin Smash! A sustainable way to celebrate the season, Pumpkin Smash provides a way for pumpkins to be broken down and repurposed into compost by Hudson River Park’s team. You’ll get fifteen minutes of smashing fun and your choice of a bat, hammer or shovel to break up your gourd into the smallest pieces you can! Stick around after to learn from the HRPK team how composting works at the Park and enjoy the beautiful pier.
Family Sundays: Thoughtful Threads at Rubin Museum (Chelsea)
Sunday November 7th 1-3p. Ages 3 and older with accompanying adults. Pre-registration is required for either the 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM time slots. The program is free for you and your family, and each ticket comes with free access to the Museum galleries. Family Sundays are back in person! Bring your family to the Rubin Museum for an afternoon of creativity and self-exploration in our new space, the Mandala Lab, that both kids and their grown-ups will enjoy. Each month we explore a new theme, with an art-making activity centered around that theme. A Museum educator will do a brief demonstration of the project, teach the art-making techniques, and let you explore ways to make the project your own. November Family Sundays: Thoughtful Threads ~ Do you feel good about yourself when you make something new or finish doing something hard? A sense of accomplishment can give you a big feeling of pride. But does it make you better than anyone else? This month we’ll practice recognizing how pride changes the way we act, and then we’ll let go of that pride by weaving our skills together to create something new!
Children’s Garden Family Day at Queens Botanical Garden
Sunday November 7th 1-4p. Free. Drop-in. Get your hands dirty with planting activities and garden crafts in the Children’s Garden! See how worms wiggle, discover the QBG plant collection, create your own leaf rubbing craft, plant your own seedling to take home, and do a garden-wide scavenger hunt. Learn about all the outstanding garden and nature programs we have for children ages 2 to 12. This is a fully outdoor, socially distanced program. Please dress for all weather. Masks are required for the full duration of this event. This is NOT a drop-off program. Adults should plan to participate with children. See the website for information on the Covid-19 protocols.
Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast
Sunday November 7th 2-4p. Free. Sign up here to receive the Zoom link 24 hours prior. South Street Seaport Museum’s monthly Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music continues – virtually. From our living rooms and kitchens, and even from the deck of Wavertree, join us for our round-robin of shared sea songs, featuring members of The New York Packet and friends. Listen in, lead or request a song, and belt out the choruses for your neighbors to hear. Hosted by singers from the New York Packet.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
The 3 Wishes and 3 Little Lambs at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until November 14th and Thursday November 11th 1230p & 230p. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each. Suggested for 2 and up. The 3 Wishes a double-feature with 3 Little Lambs (a reimagining of The 3 Little Pigs). Adapted for Hand Puppets by Nicolas Coppola. Call for reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com. Masks required to protect the unvaccinated (especially children).
Green Meadows Farm Pumpkin Smash at Aviator Sports and Events Center
Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p until November 14th. Admission: $12 per person age two and above. Register here. THESE PUMPKINS WANT TO HIT SOME DIRT! Just saying the words sounds fun… pumpkin smashing. You’ll have a great time laughing as well as doing a good deed. Green Meadows Farm alpacas, llamas, calves, pigs, goats, sheep, and bunnies love eating on the pumpkin pieces left behind. So be sure to visit with our animals, play in the huge farm playgrounds, and enjoy a hayride. BUSTED DAY! Your $12 admission per person includes: free pumpkin to smash, fun hayride, sit on 10 different tractors, BIG!! BIG!! Bulldozer to Operate, bumpy roller slide, Milk “Katie” the Cow, Play in GMF huge Farm Playground, Plenty of Picnic Tables and so much more! Extra charge: Animal Feed.
Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park
Open daily until March 6th. Hours: Monday-Thursday 8a-10p, Friday-Sunday and holidays 8a-1130p. Winter Village at Bryant Park is Manhattan’s winter wonderland. Enjoy New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink, the Holiday Shops, and rinkside eats and drinks at The Lodge by Prime Video. Reserve timed entry tickets here.
Putting Green Mini Golf (Williamsburg)
Mondays-Fridays 3-8p, Saturdays-Sundays 10a-8p. Admissions: $10 adults, $5 kids/seniors (Wednesdays before 5p & Saturdays before 1p $5 adults, $2 kids/seniors). All profits will be donated to local nonprofit organizations addressing climate change in NYC. PUTTING GREEN is an 18-hole mini golf course open to the public on the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This neighborhood pop-up is designed to showcase the problems and solutions for some of the most pressing climate change issues facing our planet. Each of the 18 holes has been designed by a community partner, including artists and designers, community and school groups, environmental advocacy organizations and public agencies. See website for all the details.
Tall Ship Wavertree at South Street Seaport
Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p through November 28th. The permanently-moored 1885 tall ship Wavertree will be open to the public for FREE with timed entry, from at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets). Visits will be self-guided along a set route and will include access to the main deck and quarter deck. Learn how people worked and lived aboard a 19th century cargo sailing vessel, from the captain to the ship’s officers, cooks, and crew. Then visit the cargo hold and stand atop the viewing platform where you can take in the massive main cargo area.The Museum will allow no more than 150 guests on board the ship at any time to encourage social distancing from different households. All guests above the age of 2 will be required to wear a face covering at all times aboard Wavertree and at the Museum’s pop-up gift shop. Reserve tickets here.
The Yard – Adventure Playground on Governors Island
Saturdays-Sundays 12n-4p until November 21st. Free. Welcome back to The Yard, New York City’s only adventure playground! The Yard offers free weekend play with Covid safety protocols in place. The Yard is a kids-only space recommended for young people ages 6 to 18, stewarded by trained playworkers. The Yard supplies young people with loose parts materials for building, exploring, imagining and destroying. Rules and more information: No more than 35 children at a time will be allowed in The Yard. Children must be over 5 years old. Masks are required. Shoes: Closed-toe shoes are required. play:groundNYC has a limited selection of loaner shoes on site. See the website for the waiver.
The Nature of Color Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Museum is open Wednesdays-Sundays with timed entry tickets are available 10a-4p (museum closes 530p). Exhibit is open until December 5, 2021. Select a General Admission + One or General Admission + All ticket, choose date and time of entry to the Museum, then select The Nature of Color. Reserve tickets here. Our world is awash in color. Color makes the world feel vibrant and alive. But that’s not all. Color helps us make sense of the world. It contains vast amounts of information—about the natural world, and the human world. Come and explore the world of color in this immersive exhibition. Worlds Beyond Earth at the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater is now open with limited seating to maintain health and safety. See all the details here.